January
ECB cuts rates for fifth time as eurozone economy flat lines
Investors maintained bets for further easing, pricing an additional 70 basis points of cuts during the rest of 2025, which would lower rates to near 2 per cent.
- Alexander Weber, Mark Schroers and Jana Randow
December 2024
- Opinion
- Trump's White House
How markets can get used to Trump’s bullying shock therapy
Markets need to quickly understand that the next US president and his team see trade in political, rather than narrowly economic, terms.
- Gillian Tett
November 2024
Why Trump’s trade war doesn’t faze this central bank chief
ECB president Christine Lagarde takes aim at claim that tariffs will “make America great again” – but calls for negotiation, not retaliation with the US.
- Roula Khalaf, Patrick Jenkins and Olaf Storbeck
September 2024
- Analysis
- Monetary policy
Did central banks get the inflation crisis right?
Rate-cutting cycles in recent decades – such as in the early 2000s, or during the financial crisis of 2007 – have tended to be associated with steep economic downturns.
- Sam Fleming, Colby Smith and Olaf Storbeck
August 2024
Eurozone rate cut questioned as German wages soar
Not all rate-setters are convinced that the ECB will manage to avoid what bank president Christine Lagarde has referred to as “tit-for-tat inflation”.
- Olaf Storbeck
July 2024
Wave of shipping inflation could complicate rate cuts, economists warn
Economists are sounding the alarm on the impact of surging shipping costs on the global fight against inflation.
- Delphine Strauss
We don’t know when rates will be cut again, ECB says
European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde says the question of an interest rate cut in September is “wide open”, and dependent on data.
- Hans van Leeuwen
June 2024
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
ECB’s historic cut was completely expected and still surprising
With Canada and Europe moving this week, does the RBA now have more room to deliver the rate cut many Australian households and investors crave?
- James Thomson
ECB rate cut to breathe fresh life into eurozone economy
The scale of the impetus will depend on how much further borrowing costs fall, but stubbornly high inflation driven by wage growth could limit the number of cuts.
- Martin Arnold
April 2024
Investors bet global central banks forced to delay rate cuts
Market expectations for loosening interest rates in Europe and the UK have been pushed back, as the US grapples with a hot economy.
- Updated
- Sam Fleming, Tommy Stubbington and Martin Arnold
March 2024
Lagarde signals ECB cut in June with 2pc inflation in sight
The European Central Bank president said policymakers will know a little more in April, and “we will know a lot more in June”.
- Alexander Weber and Mark Schroers
January 2024
IMF warns central banks off early rate cuts
Investor expectations of looser monetary policy could fuel another flare-up of inflation, IMF top official Gita Gopinath says.
- Sam Fleming and Martin Arnold
December 2023
Slowing inflation piles pressure on central banks to pivot
Some policymakers are already warning that by waiting too long to cut borrowing costs, central banks could harm weakening economies.
- Martin Arnold, Sam Fleming and Colby Smith
November 2023
Inflation falls mask bumps on the ‘last mile’ for central banks
Central bankers are warning it is too early to do a victory dance in their fight for stable prices. Investors, however, think differently.
- Valentina Romei and Martin Arnold
- Opinion
- Monetary policy
The case for cutting interest rates is getting stronger
It looks increasingly plausible that this tightening cycle has come to an end. It also looks quite likely that the beginning of the subsequent loosening is closer than central banks are suggesting.
- Martin Wolf
Why the rest of the world may be done with rate rises
Many of the major central banks have reached a turning point on interest rates, but few officials are yet declaring victory over inflation.
- Sam Fleming, Martin Arnold and Colby Smith
October 2023
‘A lot could go wrong’: Fears for global economy over Israel conflict
The risk of rising oil prices and a hit to confidence threaten to undermine this year’s gains, ministers and experts say.
- Sam Fleming and Colby Smith
- Opinion
- Global economy
Are we about to witness a replay of the eurozone debt crisis?
Many eurozone countries are now confronted with the highest borrowing costs in more than a decade, as the era of ultra-low interest rates comes to a brutal end.
- Karen Maley
September 2023
Lagarde says ECB rates to stay restrictive as long as needed
“We remain determined to ensure that inflation returns to our 2 per cent medium-term target in a timely manner,” Europe’s top central banker said.
- Updated
- Alexander Weber and Jana Randow
ECB raises rate to record high and signals end of rises
With its 10th straight rate rise, the European Central Bank sent a message it was probably done with raising rates as economic growth slows.
- Francesco Canepa and Balazs Koranyi